House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

In MA, you are not allowed to defend yourself, so running away is all you can do. Even if a bad guy is harming your family, you do not have the right to stop them with force. Crazy, but that's the way it is here.

Personally, I'd rather go to jail then see harm done to my family, so I would not think twice about using force in my home.

This.

Better to be tried by twelve than to be carried by six.

Thanks to everyone who has provided their insight. I knew I could count on the CA brothers. I will certainly be investing in an alarm system. The police pointed it out immediately (with a bit of a "what the hell are you doing without an alarm?" attitude).

The break-in occurred between 5-10 AM. My house-sitter was at work, but it was not his routine schedule. He usually works 9-5. This was on xmas day and he was just finishing up some stuff before taking vacation time. In other words, on any other day he could have been in the house during the break-in (had it been premeditated). I am willing to assume that they saw that the car was gone before deciding to make a move though.

No kids in the house. But my girlfriend is on-board with taking HD classes.

My dogs are not the most intimidating, 2 Schnauzers. But they do bark up a storm when someone comes near the property. The one that got her butt kicked is the protective one. She WILL bite if she is threatened. I am assuming that is what happened. Here is a pic of her:

I'm sorry to hear about the news, bro! I hope all is well and will get better soon.

[mosesbotbol]

That is one cute dog!

As far as self defense guns to have in your home there as many opinions as guns but here is a little something to consider. What are the interior and exterior walls of your home made of? If they are like most sheet rock interior and sheet rock/sheeting and siding exterior a 9mm full metal jacket bullet will penetrate up to 11 walls, you don't know where that bullet is going to stop. OO buck is only a little better but again those little balls are going to go through a number of walls and the people between them. For the safety of those in other rooms and outside your home one of the safest options is an AR-15 with hollow point bullets. These will be absolutely lethal to anyone in the direct path but these super soft bullets will self destruct on contact with a solid object like a sheet rock wall, tested by the FBI. A short barreled model with a collapsible stock is quick handling and gives a great sense of security. As a bonus they are great fun to take out and shoot for pleasure as well which you make you a lot more proficient and confidant.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Dr Voss

For the safety of those in other rooms and outside your home one of the safest options is an AR-15 with hollow point bullets. These will be absolutely lethal to anyone in the direct path but these super soft bullets will self destruct on contact with a solid object like a sheet rock wall, tested by the FBI.

That description sounds more like the frangible rounds than hollow points.

[Brutus2600]

Hope your dog's injuries weren't too serious and has a quick recovery!

Seriously, if anybody broke into my house and hurt my dogs I'd kick their ass not because they stole my stuff, but hurt my dogs. That's just low

[357]

Remington 870 or Mossberg 500, 12-guage pump action shotgun. Short barrel if desired, but I wouldn't get a pistol grip. Should be $300-350 max. I wouldn't go with 00 buck for penetration reasons. Most any game load will be suffficient for stopping a bad guy without the overpenetration concerns. They are cheaper too, about $7 for a box of 25.

When you're not home, get an alarm with cellphone capabilities. At times burglers will cut old landlines to disable alarms ability to notify authorities. If you really want to get your geek on, buy a cheap desktop PC UPS (uninterupptible power supply) aka battery backup that can keep the alarm running for a 20-30 minutes after a power outage. Just in case they cut the power.

Timed lights are also a good idea for deterrent, although so are some cheap ADT/Brinks window stickers or lawn signs.

[ApexAZ]

I think shotguns are good home defense weapons. AR15 is overkill and you absolutely cannot use normal .223 rounds without fear of killing the kid next door. The ones that were mentioned that shattered sound like they could be safe, but do your due diligence. The biggest advantage would be the magazine capacity. Personally, my experience with AR15 is that they are not reliable enough, but I have also had very limited experience with them. I owned a RRA m4 and had several jamming issues. They seem to be finicky with certain types of ammo, or at least mine was. 30 rounds will do you no good if you have to clear a jam in close quarters. I'm sure I'll get some flak for saying that, but in my experience, an AR15 wouldn't be a good choice for someone new to firearms.

870's have almost no issues and they are much safer in populated areas.

On another note, for those recommending home alarm systems -- Do you need the monitoring service too, or is the alarm alone sufficient?

If you are going with just the one gun I recommend something like www.shotlock.com Great for inside a closet or even a bed frame.

Another way to go is one of these behind the door or again in the closet. Easy to install. Sized to fit in between standard studs. There are other makers that are similar. Just cut into the drywall for the right height and screws are installed inside the safe into the studs.

There is very little advantage to a pistol grip if any and a lot of disadvantages.

[floydpink]

I love my guns but my kid more, so I am very careful.

My pistol sits in a gun safe on my nightstand that can be opened with a couple pushes.

I have a homemade shotgun rack behind my entertainment center in my bedroom, a two way alarm system, and a barking dog who knows if anyone is near my house.

I've had a long talk with my daughter about guns and she knows what their purpose and dangers are.

I agree on shotguns for hd, and keep mine loaded with turkey shot as my house is a split plan, and overpenetration and having no neighbors to brag to about the bad guy I shot concerns me. (thus my reluctance to use 00 buck)

I've heard the story a million times about bird shot being for the birds, but after shooting drywall and filled milk jugs up close with birdshot, I am quite confident.

As far as alarms, where I live, the cops won't respond immediately to an alarm, but with 2 way monitoring, they guarantee a 45 second response time and someone is on the speaker in your living room asking for a password and is able to dispatch police quickly.

My wife is a little paranoid that they can listen in on us, but I'm not. ( I think...)

[Ogre]

Just hire Tom to sit at your house for a few day. When they see that D-Bag sitting there they may think twice!!!!

[Silound]

Sounds like you've covered all the basics, but I can offer a few more for you. Don't just go with a perimeter alarm. Make sure your system supports motion detector coverage, and use it on the portion of the house that's not occupied at night.

Get some big floodlights installed on the major corners or covered areas of your house, and equip them with motion detectors for nighttime. There's a lot to say about deterrence when the whole area is lit like daytime.

Guns are fine, but take a moment to sit down with your GF and discuss the plan of action for if and when. Know what you both will do the instant you discover intruders in your home. Personally, while I have Castle Doctrine backing me in LA, I would rather not try to take on an armed intruder unless I absolutely had an advantage. Know what your immediate escape routes and planned meeting points are to get you away in case the intruder(s) have guns themselves. To twist Tom's words around a bit, I'd rather run from a few guns than be buried by many friends.

Also, contact an electrician, you can see about getting your major interior lights wired to a master switch in the bedroom (or to the alarm itself in some cases). Immediate lighting in the house is another good deterrent for intruders. Most don't want to be seen clearly. A good home DVR never hurts, and it doesn't take an expensive one to provide a good picture of what happens in the event of a break-in (and what things are taken).

[Ratters]

I have all sorts of guns, but prefer a handgun for personal defense, I just find it more convinient. If you're worried about penetration you can get Glasers or other frangible rounds. I also have a very large and solid safe for when I'm not home. Any determined thief could probably break into it with a plasma torch, but it would take awhile and create a racket. I also have an alarm system, but the main reason I went for that was the attached fire alarm.

One other thing is to know your neighbors. Have an agreement to keep an eye on each other's houses for odd things. I will check on the neighbors if I see anything unusual and they'll do the same for me. They always know if I'm out of town and at least one has a key to the house. Of course this only works if you have trustworthy neighbors.

[emopunker2004]

i think you should send one of those Thompsons on to me.

This is on it's way to me now:

[T.G]

Get an ED209.

Get a Mini Gun, that'll keep the rif-raf away

[bonjing]

Originally Posted by ysr_racer

Get a Mini Gun, that'll keep the rif-raf away

Dang nice set up you have there Brad! Looks like you have some mini gun barrels laying against the wall.

[germantown rob]

I do not agree that the sound of racking a shot gun is a defense plan. If you plan on using a gun then a round should be chambered and the one and only thing that is heard is BANG. I personally think of shotguns as an offensive weapon for clearing rooms and handguns to be more stealth, easier to gain access to if an intruder is in your bedroom while you are sleeping, quicker to wield, and a shot can still be taken if a loved one is in the proximity of the assailant.

If a person comes to take my stuff then they can have it, that is why I have insurance. If they came to do harm then it will be the last thing they do. I know it is not good for your ears but to fire your weapon with out ear protection in an indoor range a few times will get you prepared for how loud it will be, it can make the difference for being able to get a second shot off if needed.

Originally Posted by germantown rob

I do not agree that the sound of racking a shot gun is a defense plan...

Agreed, TV nonsense. Nothing more.